


The Sacrifice

by foxy11814



Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess Of Power
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, Step-parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-01 01:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxy11814/pseuds/foxy11814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Adora's brother, Adam, becomes a prisoner of the Horde, for once she finds herself in a situation that even She-Ra can't overcome! She has to make a sacrifice that the twins might not be able to live with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**The Sacrifice**

Music and laughter filled the night air surrounding the Whispering Woods. The people were in good spirits that night and it was a marvelous thing to behold. Children were running around playing with one another while the adults socialized merrily and acted like they didn't have a care in the world.

She wished it was like this every day, but tonight marked a special occasion that lowered everyone's inhibitions. The entire planet—besides the Horde—wished to celebrate.

The people called it the Etherian Freedom Festival. For three nights, the people of Etheria gathered in the Whispering Woods to play games, to socialize freely with one another without fear of the Horde listening, and to celebrate the actions of He-Man and She-Ra a year ago: they had helped the Great Rebellion to drive the Horde out of Kingdom Brightmoon! Even though everyone present was not a member of the Rebellion, they were all supporters of the cause and believed that the actions of He-Man and She-Ra that day were to be commemorated and celebrated.

Far be it from her to take away a reason for them to be happy, so she allowed it to happen without much complaint. Adora smiled as she watched her friends drop their stern facades as warriors of the Great Rebellion and just act like everyday people.

She wished she could forget about things as easily as her friends could for a short while, but she couldn't. She was never without her worries ever since she had discovered the truth about the Horde. Now that she knew they were evil, all the things she had once admired about the Horde were now the things that she hated.

One such thing was that the Horde never took any breaks—they never celebrated anything. She now knew that all the Horde cared about was destruction and invasions. They loved to take what didn't belong to them and they loved to cause chaos. Because the Horde was always prepared for whatever whim Hordak could have at any given time, she had to be ready, as well, and she knew the festival would give Hordak the very excuse to try something devious. And, unfortunately, the people around the planet weren't exactly keeping the festival a secret—they believed that their attendance was a small way of showing defiance to the Horde. Because of this—even though she had preferred for the celebration to be a quiet affair—she hadn't been able to stop the entire planet from talking. She knew Hordak was aware of the festivities.

And, she knew he would retaliate.

She just wished she knew how he would do it and when. Then, she would know how to prepare for the inevitable fallout. Unfortunately, since she didn't know anything, all she could do was wait.

"Adora!" Bow called out from far below.

She had stationed herself in one of the many lookout posts that surrounded the rebel camp. She was high in the air and sitting amongst the treetops. In her location, she could see the Fright Zone in the distance and that brought her a little comfort. She would see Hordak if he decided to leave his lair with his army to deliver a little payback to those who had decided to celebrate with the Rebellion once they returned home. That's what she was expecting and she was prepared to run and turn into She-Ra at any given moment.

She hoped Hordak wouldn't think of any other way to retaliate, because she knew if he did, it would probably be something that she wouldn't know about until it was too late.

She heard Bow call her name again before she turned her attention towards him.

"Come down, Adora!" he shouted. "You shouldn't spend the entire night up there. This is a time for you to celebrate, as well. Not only did He-Man and She-Ra help liberate Brightmoon a year ago, you also defected from the Horde and reunited with your brother around that time."

Yes, it was a time to celebrate and she might have considered it if Adam were on the planet with her. She would have had someone else to help her if things suddenly took a turn for the worst tonight, but since he was on Eternia, she knew she had to remain vigilant.

"I'm afraid I can't, Bow!" she replied. "Someone has to keep his or her eyes on the Horde and that might as well be me!"

"What makes you think Hordak will do anything tonight, anyway?"

She didn't bother to look down at him. She simply shrugged. She knew Bow could see her actions, so she didn't add anything else. Instead, she simply mumbled to herself as she turned her attention back to the Fright Zone, "Because I know Hordak."

=)=)=)

Deep within the Fright Zone, Hordak's laughter resonated throughout the halls. "Those Rebels," he snapped almost amusedly, "think they can get away with celebrating their single victory against the Horde! They will soon learn their mistake!"

Shadow Weaver floated ahead of the group Hordak had assembled to talk to. "Oh, that's wonderful, Hordak!" she exclaimed in mock excitement. She had learned a long time ago how to stay in Hordak's good graces…for the most part, anyway. Once in a while, they had their spats, but overall, she had secured a place as one of Hordak's favorites. "Do you have a plan?"

Hordak laughed a little more and replied, "Don't I usually?" He punched a button on his chair's arm and a picture of Adora floated beside him. "It has been some time since Adora defected to the Rebellion. When I first learned of their festival, I knew Adora probably had something to do with it, so I want to make her pay. I want her to remember that no one—and I mean no one—tries to belittle or underestimate the Horde."

Catra meowed loudly and asked excitedly, "What do you have planned? I have been waiting for a long time to make Adora suffer."

Hordak punched a different button on the arm of his chair and said, "My plan has already begun. Last night with the help of a few of Horde Prime's best men, I have taken something that will bring Adora to us, and once she comes, we will capture her and make her our prisoner forever!" He laughed sadistically as he pumped his fists up and down eagerly.

At that moment, several guards marched into the room. Everyone could tell the Troopers were surrounding a prisoner, but no one could see who it was. "Let us see him," he demanded.

The Troopers who were in front of the prisoner dispersed, and Catra, Scorpia, Mantenna, Shadow Weaver, and Screech began to laugh when they saw who they had and what state he was in. Their prisoner was in his nightwear and he looked angry as he glared at all of them, especially Hordak.

"Welcome to the Fright Zone again, Prince Adam!" Hordak called out cheerfully. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay. After all, it is you who is going to give me what I want!"

Adam moved towards Hordak but several Troopers grabbed his arms. "I'm not going to give you anything, so you're wasting your time!"

Hordak laughed and countered, "I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He turned to some guards off to the side and commanded, "Bring me a message cube. We are going to send a message to Adam's sister, Adora! If she ever wants to see her brother alive again, she will turn herself over to the Horde. If she doesn't, then her brother will remain with us and I will do with him as I wish!"

As the Horde commander laughed again excitedly, Adam yelled out, "It'll never work! It never works!"

Hordak stopped laughing and stood abruptly. He morphed his arm into his cannon blaster and shot a statue that was right behind Adam. When he saw that his prisoner got the message not to speak loud and clear, he replied, "This time it will, Prince Adam. You'll see, even though you might not like what we have in store for you to ensure that it does!" He chuckled again and said, "Take him to the Plunder Room."

As the Horde Troopers took the struggling prince out of the room, Hordak rubbed his chin and stated to himself, "Yes, Adora will be mine again, and then all of Etheria will soon follow!"

 


	2. Chapter 2

The Sacrifice Chapter 2

Prince Adam struggled against the guards. He knew there were too many Troopers to have a real chance of breaking free, but he continued to try nonetheless. To do nothing in this situation seemed foolish. A little hope lay in the fact that the Horde was always prone to mistakes. Even if that wasn't true, he would have continued to try anyway. When he had heard Hordak's order, a chill had run down his body and for once, real fear crept into his mind.

 _The Plunder Room_.

That room and he had history and it wasn't a good one. On his first trip to Etheria when he was still trying to find the person who would carry the Sword of Protection, He-Man had been stunned by Adora, and Hordak had taken him to the Plunder Room. There he had been used as a mere battery for one of the Horde's weapons against the Rebellion: the Magnabeam Transporter.

He wondered if Hordak had repaired it. It was a scary thought as he remembered how the machine had affected He-Man. It had felt like the machine had been draining away his very life-force, but supposedly it only took a person's willpower. Regardless, it had left He-Man very weak. He had barely been able to move, but luckily, he had just enough energy left to lift his hand when She-Ra had tossed him his sword.

To go into that machine as Adam…he would admit it: he was scared. It wouldn't kill him—he knew that, but the prospect of being drained of the ability to fight back was overwhelming. He would be nothing but a mere slave to the Horde if that happened. He knew his sister would come for him, but there were problems with that, as well. He wouldn't be able to call upon the powers of Castle Grayskull right away.

He didn't have the Sword of Power with him.

That was just his luck. His whole day had been one unfortunate circumstance after another…

=)=)=)

Prince Adam stood in court and rolled his eyes as Lady Edwina had walked away. This was the first time she had been allowed back in Eternos after her actions almost two years ago. She had acted in a shameful manner when Skeletor had attacked the Royal Palace. She had only cared about herself and begged Orko to abandon his friends and use magic to get only him and her to safety. During that entire trip, she had acted pompous and treated Orko with disdain. His father had seen this and banned her from the kingdom until she mended her ways.

Today before court, Lady Edwina had shown up and begged an audience with the king. She had apologized for her actions, so his father had granted her a pardon. She was allowed to stay.

If you asked Adam, she hadn't changed a bit. Before she had walked away from him, she had been making comments about all the clothes people were wearing in court today, and her words weren't too flattering. She had even made fun of poor Orko. When Adam had explained that Orko's garbs were customary for his entire race and there were reasons behind it, she had made fun of that, as well.

He was relieved when she had finally walked away.

"What did Lady Edwina say?" he heard whispered in his ear suddenly.

Adam smiled as he looked slightly behind him at Teela. She walked beside him and shot his cousin a nasty glare. He tried to hold in his reaction to Teela's actions, so he merely snickered for a moment as he raised a hand to cover his mouth. When he knew he wouldn't burst out laughing in the middle of the court proceedings, he replied, "Oh, you know my cousin. She was pretending to be the face of civility, but belittling everyone behind their backs."

Teela did what he had done earlier—she rolled her eyes. "I knew that snake hadn't changed her ways! You should tell King Randor!" she exclaimed angrily.

He shrugged and asked, "What's the point? She leaves this afternoon and she won't be back for probably another year or more. We are family, and I know it bothered Father to be at odds with her."

Teela softened her expression and whispered, "Your father is a good man, Adam. A little too good at times."

"You're telling me," he mumbled.

Teela stared at him for a second and then pushed on his shoulder playfully. "You're a fine one to talk! You're worse than he is!"

"Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she nodded at him.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "You, Prince Adam, are a softy! You let everyone walk all over you!"

He straightened his shoulders and frowned at her. "I do not," he grumbled.

She laughed. "You do when it's people you care about! Just…watch this!"

She immediately grabbed the back of his belt and started jerking him back and forth. Adam didn't knock her away. He just folded his arms as she made him wiggle his body a little. He merely glared at her.

"See!"

He shook his head and countered softly, "Well, what do you want me to do in the middle of court? Cause a scene by chasing you? Besides, you are a lady, you know. It's not like I can smack you."

She widened her eyes for a moment. Then, she scowled at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He turned to look at her a little startled. "Nothing!"

"You and I used to roughhouse with each other all the time! It's not like I can't take it just because I'm a woman!"

He waved his hands in front of him beseechingly. "That's not what I meant, Teela! I just meant we're grown now and as such, we can't roughhouse like we used to!"

She glared at him and said, "Oh, yes, we can! This afternoon, you and me. Courtyard."

He gaped at her and exclaimed loudly, " _What_? Teela?"

Everyone in court stopped to turn to look at them. Even his father, who had been speaking at the time, glared at him.

Adam blushed profusely and called out, "Uh, sorry about that."

=)=)=)

That's what got him in this predicament. Well, it was one thing of a few…

He wondered if Teela knew he was actually missing, or did she think he had run away somewhere to avoid sparring with her? He knew the ladder was very possible. After all, he had made quite a reputation for himself: he was a runner, someone who wouldn't stick around during fights. Why would he show up to let the Captain of the Royal Guard kick him around?

He sighed as he thought about what he would have to go through when he showed back up. Teela would be ruthless, and his father…well, he would consider it another piece of evidence that his son needed to change. At times like this, he wished he was someone, anyone else.

His thoughts were interrupted by the guards dragging him into the Plunder Room. He recognized it instantly and he tried to stiffen his legs to stop the Troopers from taking him any farther.

It didn't work. There were so many guards surrounding him that they merely pushed on him and he slid across the floor. When he finally got to the corner where the room turned, he looked to his left and saw what he had feared. The glass booth was repaired from the time that She-Ra had ripped it from its foundation and smashed it on the floor. He could only assume that meant the Magnabeam was fully operational, as well.

"No," he whispered to himself. He started struggling again, and the Troopers must have sensed his desperation, because they started laughing as they whipped him around and then use the momentum to throw him inside the glass booth. They shut the door on him and locked it just as a guard turned the machine on.

Not wanting to experience this again, Adam pounded furiously on the glass. He was hoping he could break it. Unlike last time, he wasn't weakened by a stun ray, so he hoped he could use that to his advantage. Unfortunately, he wasn't He-Man this time and the glass was very thick.

Just when he realized he was truly stuck again, he began to feel the effects of the machine. His head felt like it was spinning, so he placed a hand against the glass to keep himself upright and standing. He could tell that this machine was draining him at a slower rate than it had been last time. The Horde was going to make this torturous. Of course, he knew they were really giving Adora time to show up. The torment it would cause him was probably a delightful bonus for them.

=)=)=)


	3. Chapter 3

The Sacrifice Chapter 3

Adora knew something was wrong the moment she saw the Horde spy bat flying in circles outside the Whispering Woods. Her mind flashed back to the last time she had seen one. She had been with Bow and Glimmer in the same location where it was now making various plans, including who would go to gather supplies for the Rebellion. Bow had shot the flying camera from the sky, thinking it would be fun because usually the Horde put bombs in them just in case anyone tried to tamper with it.

Oh, it did blow up, but not before falling to the ground and delivering a message cube. The message had been horrible then and she knew if the spy bat had a similar offering, it would be horrible again. Hopefully, it had nothing to do with her brother, but she now had a feeling that she couldn't shake, that it would have something to do with Adam.

Quickly, she lowered her binoculars and climbed down from her post.

Almost immediately, Bow ran to her side. "It's about time!" he exclaimed. "I thought you would never come down!"

"The only reason I am is because I have to go to the edge of the Whispering Woods," she replied. She started to walk away, but Bow grabbed her hand.

"Why? What's going on, Adora?" he asked.

She sighed and replied, "I saw a spy bat circling there. It should be gotten rid of, but…"

Bow finished her thought, "…it might have bad news from the Horde."

"Exactly."

Without saying a word, Bow lifted his finger for her to wait, went into his nearby tent, and came back in a matter of seconds. He now had his bow in his hand. "Well, let's go," he said stepping past her to lead the way.

"You don't have to come," she replied. It would probably be better for her if he didn't. Bow always wanted to jump in head first when it came to battling the Horde, so it was always a challenge to get him to do otherwise.

"I want to, so come on."

=)=)=)

Adam shook his head slowly, trying to clear the sluggishness that was now overtaking his body. That was a mistake. Almost instantly, the room spun and he found himself dropping to one knee. He braced himself with one hand against the glass, like he had done as He-Man before and tried to remain awake. He knew he had to be alert for the moment Adora arrived. To do this, he thought about what happened earlier…"

=)=)=)

"Before you leave, may I speak with you for a moment, son?"

Adam cringed as he heard his father's voice. His words had formed a question, but his tone implied something else entirely. It was a command, and he knew he was in for it. Bowing his head submissively, he mumbled, "Yes, sir."

He walked in front of his father and lifted his eyes to see King Randor watching everyone else. He turned to look and realized his father was merely waiting for everyone to leave the room before he ripped into him. Sighing, he lowered his head again and waited for the inevitable moment to arrive.

When it did, he was surprised at how the conversation started. "I really wish you wouldn't slouch like that, Adam—it's unbecoming of a prince."

Immediately, he straightened his back, but he kept his head down.

He heard his father sigh and he could almost see the king roll his eyes even though he wasn't looking at him. "Son…lift your head. You're a prince—you should never cower from adversity or ridicule no matter who it's from."

He lifted his eyes to meet his father's. He didn't know how to reply to that. He had always been submissive to his father, even when he was a kid. He had always bowed his head when being scolded. It wasn't that he was scared…well, maybe he was to a certain degree, but not in the way his father meant. The truth was he thought it was an act of respect since his father was the king, so the words upset him a little, but he remained quiet.

King Randor merely nodded once approvingly when their eyes met. Adam hadn't seen that gesture in a long time, unfortunately.

"What was that in court today?" his father finally asked after he folded his hands behind his back.

He wanted to cringe, but he knew to do so now while his father was being a little sensitive to his supposed cowardice was not a wise move. Instead, he shrugged and explained softly, "Teela and I were having a discussion. She misunderstood what I was trying to say and she said something that shocked me. I didn't yell out intentionally, Father, I assure you."

King Randor shook his head and turned away. "Why were you even speaking in the first place?" he questioned. "Adam, when I'm addressing the court or they are speaking with me, the Prince of Eternia should be paying attention. You will one day rule and the people must know that you care about them and their lives. If you don't, dissension could spread throughout the kingdom and planet. You don't want that to happen, do you? It would be a horrible way to end our family's legacy."

"Of course, I don't want that!" Adam exclaimed.

Marlena stepped down from the throne and heard the tail end of their conversation. "Randor, no one thought Adam was being inattentive. I saw the whole affair. When Teela and Adam began talking, we were still taking a break. He was just so involved in the discussion that he hadn't realized the proceedings had started again. It was an honest mistake."

"And, how many 'honest mistakes' does he have, Marlena?" he asked her a little harshly while he turned to look at her.

"He is just a boy," she defended.

"Mother, Father," Adam pleaded with a horrified expression, "please don't fight over me!" He didn't want his parents fighting because of something he had done. He felt guilty enough for all the things he caused because of his secret.

"'Just a boy?'" his father repeated. "By the Ancients, Marlena, he is twenty-years-old! He's a man!"

Marlena folded her arms across her chest and replied, "He wasn't raised like you were, Randor, and you know that! You told me several times before and after we had the twins that you did not wish for Adam to have the strict, royal upbringing that you did! On Earth, yes, twenty is considered adulthood technically, too, but everyone recognizes they're still young and able to make mistakes. They're not even allowed to do certain things legally that older adults can. These young men and women are not expected to be perfect and mature beyond their years."

Randor looked at Adam briefly before he turned back to Marlena and stated firmly, "Just because I didn't want to be as hard on him as my father was on me does not mean I wanted him to be raised with a soft hand either. He's not an Earthling, Marlena, and…"

"What does that mean?" she snapped, angrily. Now, they knew she was upset. "Are you trying to say that Earthlings are weak or soft? Might I remind you that your wife is an Earthling…"

"Marlena, that's not what I meant…"

"…AND your son is an Earthling just as much as he is an Eternian, if not more so."

"Please!" Adam tried again.

Both parents turned to look at him.

"Please, stop fighting! I can't bear to be the cause! I'll do better, okay? I promise I won't cause anymore distractions in court again!"

"You need to improve more than that," his father replied, and the queen glared at her husband.

Adam stepped closer and squeezed his mother's hand. "I will. I promise you, Father. Now, please, may the subject rest?"

Marlena squeezed his hand back and nodded. She then turned to Randor and said aloud, "For now."

Adam knew that meant she planned on discussing the issue further with his father in private, and he could tell when he looked at his father that the king knew it, too. King Randor shook his head after his wife walked away and then scrutinized him for a second before walking away, as well.

=)=)=)

That was the last time he had seen his father and mother, and undoubtedly, they knew he was missing by now. His father probably thought he had run off somewhere to have fun and that very conversation would be sticking out in his mind. He would probably be disappointed, believing that his son was a disgrace and would never change. Even Teela probably believed he was hiding to avoid her.

He breathed deeply as much to calm himself as to keep himself awake. It was getting harder and harder by the second and he didn't know what to hope for. Should he hope for Adora to come to rescue him, or should he hope for her to stay far, far away? Just like he didn't want to cause any problems between his parents, he didn't want to cause any problems for Adora and the Rebellion. They had enough as it was.

Closing his eyes and trying to steady himself, a wave of faintness hit him. He begged himself to stay conscious for just a little while longer, but he honestly didn't know if he could.

=)=)=)

Adora and Bow rode Spirit and Arrow to the edge of the Whispering Woods within a relatively short period of time. The short journey had been made in almost complete silence, because both knew bad news was more than likely imminent. When they both dismounted, Bow lifted his bow and shot the spy bat much like he had before.

As she suspected, it dropped to the ground without a big explosion. Bow motioned for her to stay where she was as he ran over and grabbed the visible message cube from the bat's belly. He then ran over to her and made her kneel with him behind a big rock.

After the explosion had occurred and they uncovered their ears, they both stood.

Without waiting for Bow to comment, Adora grabbed the message cube. She knew it was addressed to her even if her friend hadn't read the inscription yet. As soon as the box touched her fingertips, it lit up and Hordak's face could be seen within it and he spoke.

"Greetings, Ex-Force Captain Adora, as a courtesy to a former member of the Horde, I thought I would inform you of some information that has just come to light." He laughed sadistically, and Adora wrinkled her brow with worry. "It seems that your brother has taken an unexpected trip to Etheria, hahaha. He is staying here with me in the Fright Zone, as you can see." The cube then showed Adam barely keeping his eyes open in a glass box and Adora recognized it instantly. She gasped. _The Plunder Room. The Magnabeam Transporter_. She had almost had her brother taken away from her once by those means…

"Oh, no! Brother!" she shouted in complete horror.

"If you wish to see your brother free, come to the Fright Zone alone. If I catch even a glimpse of She-Ra or anyone else by ground or in the skies, I will put the Magnabeam on full capacity and drain Prince Adam. You know what it is capable of. I may not have enough willpower from the prince to send the Whispering Woods to the Valley of the Lost, but the results of that action will be nonetheless pleasing if you cross me, I assure you."

Adora stumbled back and leaned against the stone that she and Bow had hidden behind earlier. She could tell Hordak meant his words. She had never seen someone drained at full capacity. They hadn't even done that to He-Man, because they had been afraid he would overload the machine, but Adam…he didn't stand a chance.

She could see from what her brother was wearing that he had been taken from Eternia at night and that he more than likely didn't have the Sword of Power on him. "Oh, no," she mumbled again as tears swam to her eyes.

"You have two hours to get here, Adora. Don't be late or Adam will suffer the consequences." Hordak laughed loudly before the message cube started shooting shocks out of its crevices.

Bow immediately grabbed it and tossed it into the air before it exploded.

Once it did, Bow pounded his fist in his open hand and said determinedly, "We'll get your brother back, Adora, and I will go with you."

Adora shook her head and countered adamantly, "No, Bow, you have to stay here. If Hordak sees you, he might hurt Adam and I couldn't bear that. I must go alone."

"But Adora…"

"No," she stated firmly. Before he could say anything else, she whistled for Spirit, jumped onto the animal, and took off towards the Fright Zone. She didn't look back to see what Bow was doing, because her mind was too consumed with thoughts. She already knew her brother was weak—she could tell that from the picture. So, how would he go free when she arrived?

She also debated about reaching out to the Sorceress, but she realized the woman might want to send reinforcements. That could end disastrously—she couldn't and wouldn't risk her brother's life at all. Life had been so cold and lonely without him when she had been a member of the Horde, and now that she knew him, now that they had strengthened their bond with one another, she couldn't imagine life without him. It was unconceivable.


	4. Chapter 4

The Sacrifice Chapter 4

Adam could no longer stand. He could no longer even kneel on his knees. It was either fall face forward onto the glass in front of him or sit down and lean against the back glass of the booth. He chose the latter.

He could hardly keep his eyes open, but he wanted to because he knew Adora was coming to save him. He could almost feel her approach, but he was beginning to believe she was too late. There was no way he could walk out of there under his own steam, and how in the world would he regain his willpower to move? How would he even be able to lift the Sword of Power if he even got back to the rebel camp somehow?

Something told him this was Hordak's plan all along: get Adora to the Fright Zone to protect Adam and then keep them both. It was what Skeletor would have done, and Hordak was his teacher.

Feeling that sleep was about to overtake him, he tried to fight it by shaking his head frantically, but it didn't work. He felt his eyes closing and soon he was unaware of what was going on around him.

=)=)=)

Adam walked down the corridor slowly as he left the throne room. He was feeling awful that he had not only managed to upset his father, he had made his parents fight with one another. " _Good job, Adam_ ," he told himself; _"Let's see what else you can mess up today!_ "

That's when he remembered Teela's desire to meet in the courtyard this afternoon to spar. He closed his eyes and sighed. That wasn't something he wanted to do at all. It wasn't that he was concerned that the Captain of the Guard would hurt him—far from it, actually—but he was tired of pretending to be less skilled than he really was and he simply didn't want to do it. Of course, he couldn't tell Teela that, so he didn't have much choice of what he could do: he had to avoid her for the rest of the day somehow. He knew it would make her mad, but he also knew she would forget about her challenge in light of him being a coward. He supposed his reputation was good for something every once in a while.

He managed to stay away from Teela for the rest of the day by staying in the library and reading court cases his father had wanted him to research earlier in the week. Unfortunately, when he had finally gone to his bedroom before nightfall and changed into his sleeping attire, several sharp knocks were heard on his door. Already knowing who it was, he sighed. He flopped down on the bed and prepared to be reamed out for his failure to show up in the courtyard today. "Come in," he called out after momentarily wondering if he should pretend he wasn't there, but he knew she would walk in if he didn't say something, so he decided he might as well get it over with.

As suspected, Teela burst into the room. She took one look at Adam, relaxing on his bed, and asked snappishly, "And, where have you been all day?"

In response, he immediately brought his hand up to squeeze the bridge of his nose and groaned. "Teela, you do realize I'm the Prince of Eternia and have things to do, right?" He knew he was being a bit snippy at her, but he had enough to worry about without her getting onto him.

"Yes, I do know that, but you seem to forget that I'm your bodyguard and I know your schedule since it's ran by me," she stated, matter-of-factly. "You didn't have anything special today, so you had plenty of opportunity to show up in the courtyard for our meeting."

Adam sat up and frowned at her. "Actually, I was doing something, Teela. I was reading those court cases father had given me a few days ago. I had been putting them off and today was the perfect day to catch back up. I got so absorbed in it that I lost track of time."

"Oh, but I'm sure you managed to eat," she replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, the librarian did run to the kitchen to get me something light," he explained in bewilderment. "Seriously, Teela, I was busy today."

She stared at the prince for a bit and finally relented. "Okay, if you say so, Adam. If you say you were busy and you weren't really hiding from me, I'll accept that. But you know what you can do, though, to make your absence up to me?"

"What's that?"

She grinned almost sadistically. "You can prove it by getting up right now, putting back on your clothes, and meeting me in the gym now. I can turn on the lights and…"

"Teela, I'm tired and…"

She smirked at him and said, "Oh, Adam, you didn't even have a combat lesson today. All you did was read. Besides, you know as well as I that this shouldn't last long."

He glared at that comment and Teela laughed at his expression. "I'll see you in the gymnasium in five minutes." She walked out of the room and shut the door firmly.

Adam jumped from the bed and decided that he would show up. And, for once, he was determined to give Teela a harder time than he normally did so that it would last longer than she expected. Besides, it would be a way to relieve the stress of the day. He walked over to his closet to retrieve his clothes when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Thinking that it must be Teela or Cringer since he wasn't expecting anyone else, he walked over to the door and swung it open. Adam came face to face with members of the Horde. He didn't know who they were, but he knew that emblem across their chest anywhere. Before he could yell or even move, a man shot him with a freeze-ray.

=)=)=)

Adora stood before the Fright Zone and pounded on the door. Almost immediately a Horde Trooper opened it. Before he could say anything, Adora stated, "I'm here to see Hordak—he's expecting me."

"Right this way," the robot replied and led her to the throne room. He stood beside her and simply stared up at the throne. Currently, the chair was not there, so she knew it was time for the theatrics to start in an attempt to intimidate her. Did Hordak forget that she knew those tricks? Rolling her eyes slowly, they heard machines under the throne steps move and the trooper announced, "Hordak comes."

Adora watched unimpressed as the tall chair rose above her. When it stopped rising, it turned itself around to reveal Hordak looking down at her.

"Adora," he said, rolling the "o" like he used to do when he was pleased with something she had done. She was supposed that he was pleased with her right now…for showing up. "So nice to see you again," he greeted.

She nodded once and said, "I'm here for one reason and one reason only: to save my brother. Now, release him."

Hordak laughed amusedly and said, "All in good time. First, I wanted to ask you a few questions."

She didn't like the sound of that. When Hordak started interrogating, it meant he had something up his sleeves, so to speak. She folded her arms and said, "You forget that I know you, Hordak. What do you want and what do you have planned?"

Ignoring her questions, Hordak simply asked his. "I am curious, Adora, why you and the Rebels insisted on celebrating today? Yes, it is the one time you and your friends have taken back a kingdom that the Horde had conquered, but I wouldn't be proud of doing it only once…and you must have known it would get my attention."

Because Hordak had her brother and she knew he could hurt him if he so wished at any second, she answered honestly. "I had no involvement in planning the festival and I certainly didn't want it to be advertised, but I can hardly control them if they want to do something."

Hordak stood and said, "Yes, common people are so…unwise and disobedient, aren't they? That's why they need people like the Horde to lead them."

She glared at him and said, "No one needs the Horde's leadership. They do better on their own."

"Would they really? Tell me, Adora, when I sent you that message cube, did you tell anyone else of its contents?"

She shook her head. "No, but my friend, Bow, was with me."

Hordak asked laughingly, "And, did you tell him to stay away from the Fright Zone and to not help you?"

Adora froze. Why was he asking her that? She squeezed her eyes shut firmly and thought, " _No, Bow, you wouldn't have! I specifically told you not to come! You heard what Hordak said!_ "

"Well?" Hordak called out, shaking her from her thoughts.

"Yes, I did," she answered.

"And, you are supposedly their leader." He punched a button on his chair and said, "I would like to congratulate you, Adora, on your fine leadership and ability to control your men. As you can see, they obey quite well." He pointed behind her.

She whirled around and cried out. "Bow, what are you doing here? I told you stay away!"

Hordak laughed and stated coldly, "I told you what would happen if I saw anyone but you show up."

She turned back to Hordak frantically as he punched yet another button on his chair. Fearing that it possibly controlled what was happening to Adam, she cried, "Please, Hordak, don't hurt my brother! I told Bow not to come! Please, I'll do anything!"

That caught Hordak's attention. He raised an eyebrow. "Anything?" he questioned with a smile as he rubbed his chin.

"Anything," she agreed hurriedly.

At that moment, Bow cried out, "No, Adora, don't do it!"

She turned back towards him temporarily and snapped, "I don't want to hear from you! You've done enough!" She turned back to Hordak and reiterated, "I'll do anything if you don't hurt Adam."

Hordak punched the same button that he did the last time on his chair and replied, "Agreed. Come, let's go see your brother." He descended the throne steps and as they walked out the room, he sneered at Bow and said to the Troopers holding him captive, "I got who I want. Throw him back where you got him."

Instantly, the guards pulled him from the room as Hordak laughed and led the way to the Plunder Room.


	5. Chapter 5

The Sacrifice Chapter 5

Dread overwhelmed Adora as she followed Hordak to the Plunder Room. It was obvious that the button Hordak had hit on his chair earlier had somehow affected Adam. It had probably activated the Magmabeam and it had drained some of his willpower. The question was "How much?"

She soon got her answer. When they walked into the room, Adora sprinted ahead of Hordak and turned the corner where she knew the booth to be. As soon as she saw her brother, she cried out, "BROTHER!" She ran to the glass and pounded on it. When she saw that it was too thick to break and she didn't see any other way to open it, she looked at Hordak and yelled, "Let him out, please! Oh, Adam!"

She turned back to her brother and knelt down on the floor beside him even though the glass still separated them. "Oh, Adam," she whispered, "please look at me. Tell me you're okay."

The prince didn't move. He was curled into a ball and seemed dead to the world. Before she could turn to Hordak and yell at him once more, she heard a few beeps from buttons being hit. Suddenly, the door opened and she gasped. She almost crawled into the booth with her brother but stopped herself. If Hordak shut the door with her in there, he could do to her what he had done to Adam. So, instead, she grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him out with all of her might. It took a lot of her strength to do this task, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Adam at that moment.

When he was finally out of the booth, she propped his head on her lap and ran her fingers through his hair. "Please speak to me, brother. Tell me that you're all right."

It took several moments but eventually Adam responded. He opened his eyes. "Adora?" he questioned softly; "Is that really you?" His stare didn't focus on her at all. He seemed really dazed.

Tears rushed to her eyes as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Yes," she replied hurriedly. "Do you think you can get up?"

Adam moved his head upward as if he wanted to get up, but the rest of his body wouldn't follow. He rested his head back against her and gasped, "No, I'm too weak." Then, his head became limp and rolled to the side. He had fallen asleep once more.

Immediately, Adora twisted her head to glare at Hordak. He stood ten feet away and simply observed them. "Help him!" she cried. "Give him back his willpower! We made a deal and in order to let him go, you must give him the ability to leave!"

Hordak smiled ruthlessly and said, "I only agreed that I would let Adam out of his confinement in the Plunder Room. I never said I'd let him go altogether."

She frowned and cried, "Please, Hordak, you agreed not to hurt my brother."

"And, he's not hurt. He's merely weak."

Tears slipped down her cheeks as Hordak walked closer. He stood before them and stated matter-of-factly, "I will give Adam his energy back, but only if you continue to keep your promise and do what I ask of you. I haven't decided what I want, yet, but you will find out soon enough. In the meantime, your brother can stay here. I'm sure you would make a better nurse than anyone else in the Whispering Woods."

She nodded, knowing it to be the truth. She wanted her brother to be set free, but she didn't want him to leave the Fright Zone in this condition. She was glad she would be able to watch over him as he regained his strength. "Agreed," she replied simply. She knew Hordak wasn't really questioning if that was okay. It was more of a command, but she wanted to send that message that she was allowing it. After all, everything they were doing now was a power-play. She knew that, and Hordak knew she knew that.

Without saying anything else, Hordak glanced to the Horde Troopers just outside the room and said, "Take Prince Adam to one of the guest rooms beside Adora's room." The robots came inside, grabbed him under his arms, and started dragging him out of the room.

"Hey, that could hurt him!" Adora cried as she tried to follow, but Hordak stood in front of her.

"He'll be fine," he replied. He then grinned and laughed at her sadistically. "I just wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that you agreed to do anything I asked if I let your brother go. I expect you to keep your promise."

"You haven't let him go, yet," she countered. "You knew when we made that agreement that I expected him to actually leave the Fright Zone."

Hordak raised a brow and asked, "Oh, so you want me to toss him out of the Fright Zone? With pleasure!" He walked over to a control panel in the nearby wall and pushed a button. "Guards," he said happily, "never mind the previous order. Take Prince Adam outside and throw him into the nearest ditch. Let him find his own way to the Whispering Woods, hahaha!"

"NO!" Adora cried. "No, Hordak, please you can't do that!"

Hordak smiled and questioned, "So, you want him to stay?"

She nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I want him to stay."

He grinned. "Good, good." He turned back to the wall and said, "Disregard the last order, men. Take him to the guestroom."

He walked back to Adora and said, "You made a promise to me. Do not betray that trust by contacting She-Ra and getting her to break you out."

Hordak turned around and started to walk away. He tossed over his shoulder, "I would hate for Adam to stay this way for the rest of his life." After a pause, he added, "I believe you still remember the way to your room. Adam will be next door. Good night."

Adora left and quickly made her way to Adam's room. She had an idea that would hopefully make Adam feel better right away. She would simply turn into She-Ra and try to heal him with the Sword of Protection. Then, her brother could leave, but she knew what the hard part would be: Adam wouldn't want to leave without her, but she made a promise to do something for Hordak, anything that he asked. She was a woman of her word and Adam would have to accept that. Hopefully, he would understand…

=)=)=)

Teela walked the corridors of the palace angrily. Last night, she had waited for Adam in the gymnasium for nearly thirty minutes. She had been looking forward to sparring with him and teaching him that she could still rough house with any man, but unfortunately, she was never given the opportunity. He had never shown up. And, worse, when she went to his bedchambers to chastise him again, he wasn't there. After waiting in his room for nearly an hour, she left and decided to go to bed. She knew he was probably hiding somewhere until morning. "The nerve of him," she muttered to herself angrily.

At that moment, she turned onto the next corridor and made her way to the kitchen. She had skipped breakfast that morning and went for a walk in the Evergreen Forest, because she was so angry with Adam that she hadn't wanted to face him, but now she was hungry. Just as she reached the kitchen door, she noticed several of her guards running toward her.

"Captain Teela!" they yelled simultaneously. They were nearly out of breath, so she knew they had probably been searching for her for a long time. She then remembered that she had turned off her comlink that morning so Adam wouldn't be able to reach her. Unfortunately, she now realized she had cut everyone else off from her, as well.

When they reached her, she asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

The cadet in the group caught his breath quicker since he was the youngest and answered, "The king is looking for you. We were all worried that you were missing, too."

"Missing, too? What in the world are you talking about?"

"Prince Adam," the cadet clarified. "He's missing. The entire palace has been searching for the both of you all morning!"

A large knot had tied itself in her throat, but she calmed herself down. She knew Adam ran off all the time, so there was nothing to worry about. He would show up at some point claiming that he was off having fun with Cringer. She had almost cemented that thought into her mind when she saw a flash of green and yellow farther down the hall.

Cringer saw them and ran to her side. "Did you find Adam?"

That's when she finally gasped. If Cringer didn't know where Adam was, this really could be bad. She turned back to her soldiers and asked, "Where is the king?"

"In your father's workshop," they stated together once more.

Without waiting, she immediately ran down the hall. When she walked into Man-at-Arms' workshop, she was greeted by a sight that made her cry out in alarm. Her father had sprinkled a few cameras throughout the palace recently to improve their security. Several cameras had been placed on the Royal Hall, so obviously, her father felt the need to look at the footage to see what had happened to Adam, if anything at all. On the screen, they got their answer:

Adam had opened his bedchamber door to several men she didn't recognize and one of them had shot the prince with a freeze ray. "Oh, Ancients," she said disbelievingly, and once again, she found herself crying out in alarm when the men suddenly turned and they saw the emblem of the Horde on their chests as they dragged Adam out of his chambers.


	6. Chapter 6

The Sacrifice Chapter 6

King Randor and Queen Marlena, along with Teela, cried out in alarm as soon as they saw the emblems across the trespassers' chests. They were members of the Horde!

"Oh, Randor!" Queen Marlena cried. "They've taken Adam! First, Adora and now…"

The king shushed the queen and immediately pulled her into his arms. As he comforted her by rubbing her back with strong strokes, he looked from Man-at-Arms to Teela several times before stating firmly, "We have to get Adam back. Contact He-Man and whoever else you think you will need. We are going to Etheria to get my son back!"

At Randor's order, Queen Marlena pulled back and widened her eyes. Everyone could tell she was more concerned now than she was before.

"Your Majesty, we'll get Adam back!" Teela assured her. The young woman had tears in her eyes.

The queen nodded and then walked closer to Man-at-Arms. She mumbled softly so only he could hear, "Come to my bedchambers within the hour. I have something I want to discuss with you privately." When she saw Duncan nod slightly, she turned to face Randor and said aloud, "I have to go lie down. This is…too much."

Randor walked over to squeeze her hand and replied, "I quite understand, my dear. I'll be with you as soon as we figure out how we're going to get Adam back…and we will get him back."

She tried to smile at her husband to show her confidence in his words, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply turned and looked at Man-at-Arms one more time before leaving the room. It was her way of telling him to come as soon as he could.

=)=)=)

Duncan stood outside the king and queen's bedchambers and hesitated before knocking on the door. He had no idea why Marlena wanted to speak with him privately. It was obvious she wanted to do so without her husband present and that surprised him greatly. When the door opened, he wasn't shocked to see the queen's reddened eyes or the tearstains on her face. Queen Marlena had always been emotional when it came to the Horde. They had stolen Adora from her when she was infant, only to do it again shortly after they were reunited. Now, they had Adam. Those times were the few in a very short list of occasions when he had seen her cry.

"You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?" he questioned softly.

She nodded, looked down the hall in both directions before opening the door wider, and said, "Come in, Duncan."

Man-at-Arms walked inside and immediately took a seat. The first room he entered into was the queen's sitting room and her bedchamber with Randor was through the next door. He knew she would want to remain here to discuss whatever was on her mind. He watched as she breathed deeply and sat beside him, facing him.

"This is bad, isn't it?" she asked softly.

He didn't know how to answer that. He had a feeling there was more to this question than what was apparent on the surface. Of course, it was bad. She was Adam's mother—she already knew it was bad. So, what was she asking?

"Your Majesty?" he questioned, trying to convey his confusion at her words.

She sighed in response and mumbled, "Let's not beat around the bush here, Man-at-Arms. Adam was taken last night. If this were under normal circumstances, Adam would already be back on Eternia and Randor would be none the wiser, but that's not the case this time. What has happened that has made that impossible this time?"

Duncan widened his eyes. "Your Majesty, I have no idea…"

The queen interrupted him by narrowing her eyes and informing him, "I know Adam is He-Man!" Duncan gasped, but she continued to speak. "I've known for quite some time, so don't deny it. My question to you is why isn't he home yet? What has prevented him from doing so? I know you must have some idea."

He shook his head. "I have no clue," he answered softly, still not quite believing that Queen Marlena knew the secret. He had never even suspected that it was possible! Did the Sorceress even know that the queen knew?

"Focus, Man-at-Arms," the queen insisted sharply. "Instead of worrying about what I know, think. This is Adam we're talking about. We need to figure out the situation he is in right now, so we need clear heads, especially since Randor isn't in the know."

He nodded dumbly for a moment and then cleared his throat. "I need to go to his bedchamber," he announced suddenly.

"What for?"

He looked back at the queen after he approached the door to leave and informed her, "There is only a few reasons that I can think of that would prevent Adam from turning into He-Man: one, he might not have the means—he might not have the Sword of Power." With that, he walked out of the room with the queen hot on his heels. It was a matter of moments before the weapons inventor opened the prince's door and went to his bookshelf. When he opened the hidden compartment, he gasped for what felt like the umpteenth time that day: the sword was there. Adam didn't have it. That meant the prince was in serious danger, more so than he thought.

=)=)=)

Adora didn't immediately go to her room. She went to Adam's. He was asleep on the bed, still wearing the bedtime apparel he had been in earlier. She sat on the edge of the bed and whispered, "Oh, my brother, what have they done?" It was so reminiscent of the first time she had asked that question under similar circumstances, but she knew this time was direr.

She brushed her fingers across Adam's cheek and asked softly, "Brother, can you hear me? Open your eyes and look at me."

She could tell it was a struggle, but eventually, Adam opened his eyes. She could also tell that he was trying to focus on her but couldn't. Eventually, he gave up and closed his eyes again.

"Adam! Adam!" she exclaimed in response, trying to keep him awake.

The prince opened his eyes once more. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of this, I promise. First, we have to give you your strength back. I'm going to turn into She-Ra. We're going to see what she can do, okay?"

"Okay," she heard her brother whisper lightly in reply. His voice was so strangled and hoarse that it broke her heart. Tears came to her eyes as she stood and lifted her sword aloft. "For the honor of Grayskull!" she cried. As soon as she transformed into She-Ra, she sat back down on the bed and stated, "I'm going to heal you now, brother. You're going to be okay."

She placed a hand on his forehead and the other over his heart. Closing her eyes, she mumbled, "For the honor of Grayskull, let your wounds be healed."

She-Ra felt her healing powers leave through her fingertips and spread throughout Adam's body. She could tell immediately that he was drained completely and as a result, he was draining her. She wanted to help her brother by any means necessary, even if that meant tiring herself out, but she knew that wouldn't be wise. There wouldn't be a way to explain why Adam was suddenly so much better and Adora was weak. Hordak had no idea that Adora and Adam had magical powers and she knew they would both like to keep it that way…

So, reluctantly, she pulled away. She would have to do it a little at a time. She was slightly woozy, but not so much that she couldn't stand and talk to Hordak if she had to. Quickly, she changed back into Adora just in case the Horde leader came into the room. She then placed her hand on her brother's cheek and asked, "How do you feel, Adam?"

He was finally able to focus on her. "Slightly better," he answered, "but I'm still so weak. I hate this." He tried to sit up, but he couldn't. She could tell he was straining to do so, so she quickly forced him to lie back down. "Save your strength, brother. I don't need you tiring yourself out any faster than necessary. I have to heal you in intervals."

Adam sighed and stared at his sister. "I don't like you being here," he revealed. "The Horde wants you back, so this is the last place you should be regardless of whether I am here or not." He swallowed nervously and continued, "I'll be fine. Just head back to the Whispering Woods. If at all possible, go to Eternia. My sword is behind the bookcase in my bedchambers. Man-at-Arms can show it to you. You could bring it to me, then you wouldn't have to heal me. I could heal myself."

Adora grimaced and whispered, "I'm afraid that's not an option, brother."

"What do you mean? Of course, it is!"

She shook her head and explained, "I promised Hordak that I wouldn't escape or contact anyone to break me free if he promised not to harm you. Adam, I couldn't risk your life and when Bow showed up and ruined everything, Hordak started draining you at a faster rate. That's why you're like this! In fact, you were way worse than this a moment ago!"

Adam narrowed his eyes in frustration and exclaimed, "You should have never promised that monster anything, Adora! He's using me to get to you!"

"I know, but I didn't have any choice. You know you would have done the same for me!" she cried.

He paused and relaxed his expression. He knew she was right, so he couldn't continue to be angry at her actions. Besides, he could never remain angry with her for too long anyway. Breathing deeply, he mumbled, suddenly tired, "We'll find a way out of this. We always do."

She nodded and agreed, "I know we will. It might take some time, though."

Slipping into the bed with him, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind that I'm going to stay with you. I have my own room, but I don't want to leave you alone while you're so weak. We are in enemy territory and you're unable to protect yourself right now."

Adam nodded tiredly. He was already falling asleep, which was evident by his hooded eyes. He could barely keep them open. Already the energy and willpower she had given him was fading away. Even she was feeling the pull of sleep, so she decided that they should give into it. "Go to sleep, Adam," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his forehead. "We'll be okay and I'll be here when you wake. I promise." She could tell Adam was using a lot of energy to wrap his arm around her. She almost chastised him for it but didn't when she realized he probably needed to do it as much as she needed to feel it. If he was still trying to comfort her at this time, that meant he was still okay and not as bad off as he could be. That was one thing to be grateful for.

As Adora drifted off to sleep, she hoped Hordak would leave them alone until morning.


End file.
